The purpose of this page is to write a brief story about how your family commemorates ANZAC day and why ANZAC day is significant to you.
Instructions:
1. Rename the page and save it as My ANZAC Story - your name.
2. Think about how your family has commemorated ANZAC day and your families ANZAC History. Did any of your relative serve in the previous conflicts or wars? Plan out your ANZAC Story. Consider the 6 core questions - What, When, Who, Where, Why and How as starting points for your story.
What do you do to commemorate ANZAC day?
Who of your relatives were involved, where and when?
Why is it important to you and your family?
3. Please add images if you would like to, but check with your parents and teachers first.
My family and I do not commemorate Anzac way in any significant way. My father often attends a dawn service and the rest of us sleep in!
Neither my parents, nor my aunties or uncles have served in any conflicts. Similarly, my grandparents were only just too young to join up in World War II.
David Leicester
My great uncle Lewis David Leicester (David) served in World War II as a pilot with the Royal Air Force. He survived the war to come home and marry my maternal grandmother's older sister, Joan. I still see Great Uncle David and Great Auntie Joan regularly. Great Uncle David joined the army when he was 18 in 1941 and was trained to fly planes in Australia, first at Parafield Airport in SA then in Point Cook in Victoria. He was taught how to fly a plane before he knew how to drive a car!
Once David's training was complete he was deployed overseas. He flew with the RAF (the British airforce) during World War II. He flew Lancaster bombers and was part of the Pathfinder Squadrons. Pathfinder Squadrons flew ahead of bombers and dropped flares on targets so the bombers knew where to drop. It was an incredibly dangerous job and there was a high fatality rate for Pathfinders. Uncle David was only 20 when he became Squadron Leader, a senior officer in the RAF. He was the youngest Squadron Leader at that time. Uncle David has received several awards for his service and met the Queen in 2012.
Uncle David is the man in the foreground with the glasses. This was taken in England in 2012 when the Queen unveiled a memorial to World War II Bomber Command.
Below is a sketch of Great Uncle Dave as a young man in uniform with his DFC bar. A Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) was awarded for 'acts of
act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty performed whilst flying in active operation against the enemy.' He received both a DFC and a bar (he was recommended for this award twice).
The recommendation for his award. Note that King George was on the throne at that stage. Also notice that he was flying predominantly over Germany in his missions.
Great Uncle David with a painting of Lancaster Bombers (the type of planes he flew in the war). I remember going to stay with Great Auntie Joanie and Great Uncle David and looking at this painting as a child.
One of my paternal great grandfathers George Murray also served in World War II. He was my grandmother Jo Harding's father. George was a soldier stationed in Libya during World War II and was one of the men known as the 'Rats of Tobruk'. He never came home from the war and died in the conflict. After his death, Nana, Great Grandmother Amy, remarried a man who would turn out to be an alcoholic, whom she eventually left, riding away on her bicycle one evening with my Gran Jo, then a small child.
George Murray was in Tobruk in 1941 and was part of a famous World War II siege. In 1941, a rapid German and Italian offensive into Egypt was stopped by an Allied garrison at Tobruk in Libya, Africa. The Allies were surrounded by German and Italian forces. The men of the Tobruk garrison were mostly Australians and they withstood an eight month siege that consisted of tank attacks, artillery barrages, and daily bombings. In addition, they endured the harsh conditions of the desert, including searingly hot days, freezing cold nights and frequent dust storms.
The name 'Rats of Tobruk' comes from how the men lived, dug into the land like rats. The determination, bravery, and humour of the men, combined with the aggressive tactics of their commanders, became a source of inspiration during the war.
George Wilfred Murray's service record. Note the name of his wife, my Nana, Amy May Murray who I still remember visiting as a child.
A picture of my grandmother, Jo, visiting George Murray's grave (her father's grave) with my Uncle Paul, my dad's brother and her oldest son. They are in Libya, where George Murray served as a 'Rat of Tobruk' before he was killed in action.
Albert Doohan
My future mother-in-law Cathie's great uncle Albert Doohan served in World War I (her grandfather's brother). He joined the army at 18 and assigned number 35. Albert was at the Gallipoli landing. He survived Gallipoli only to be killed later in the war in France.
Albert Doohan wrote home to his youngest brother Len from the war, warning him against joining up and saying, 'tell Len to stay where he is'. It was this message that prevented Len Doohan from serving in World War I. Instead he got married and had children in Newcastle, New South Wales. One of his children is Cathie's father and my fiance's grandfather. Without Albert's warning, Cathie would never have been born!
Albert and the English woman that he married while on leave. They had one son together, Reginald.
A photo of Albert with the injury he sustained at Gallipoli and a picture of his tombstone in France.
The booklet given to Albert at Gallipoli
The first pages of the booklet given to Albert Doohan at Gallipoli
The last pages of the book given to Albert Doohan in Gallipoli. Can you read what it says in his handwriting?
My ANZAC Story - Sarah H
Purpose:
The purpose of this page is to write a brief story about how your family commemorates ANZAC day and why ANZAC day is significant to you.Instructions:
1. Rename the page and save it as My ANZAC Story - your name.2. Think about how your family has commemorated ANZAC day and your families ANZAC History. Did any of your relative serve in the previous conflicts or wars? Plan out your ANZAC Story. Consider the 6 core questions - What, When, Who, Where, Why and How as starting points for your story.
- What do you do to commemorate ANZAC day?
- Who of your relatives were involved, where and when?
- Why is it important to you and your family?
3. Please add images if you would like to, but check with your parents and teachers first.Table of Contents
My ANZAC Story
My family and I do not commemorate Anzac way in any significant way. My father often attends a dawn service and the rest of us sleep in!
Neither my parents, nor my aunties or uncles have served in any conflicts. Similarly, my grandparents were only just too young to join up in World War II.
David Leicester
My great uncle Lewis David Leicester (David) served in World War II as a pilot with the Royal Air Force. He survived the war to come home and marry my maternal grandmother's older sister, Joan. I still see Great Uncle David and Great Auntie Joan regularly. Great Uncle David joined the army when he was 18 in 1941 and was trained to fly planes in Australia, first at Parafield Airport in SA then in Point Cook in Victoria. He was taught how to fly a plane before he knew how to drive a car!
Once David's training was complete he was deployed overseas. He flew with the RAF (the British airforce) during World War II. He flew Lancaster bombers and was part of the Pathfinder Squadrons. Pathfinder Squadrons flew ahead of bombers and dropped flares on targets so the bombers knew where to drop. It was an incredibly dangerous job and there was a high fatality rate for Pathfinders. Uncle David was only 20 when he became Squadron Leader, a senior officer in the RAF. He was the youngest Squadron Leader at that time. Uncle David has received several awards for his service and met the Queen in 2012.
Below is a sketch of Great Uncle Dave as a young man in uniform with his DFC bar. A Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) was awarded for 'acts of
act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty performed whilst flying in active operation against the enemy.' He received both a DFC and a bar (he was recommended for this award twice).
Uncle David was interviewed for ABC radio. The audio can be found here:
http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2010/06/05/2918440.htm
George Murray
One of my paternal great grandfathers George Murray also served in World War II. He was my grandmother Jo Harding's father. George was a soldier stationed in Libya during World War II and was one of the men known as the 'Rats of Tobruk'. He never came home from the war and died in the conflict. After his death, Nana, Great Grandmother Amy, remarried a man who would turn out to be an alcoholic, whom she eventually left, riding away on her bicycle one evening with my Gran Jo, then a small child.
George Murray was in Tobruk in 1941 and was part of a famous World War II siege. In 1941, a rapid German and Italian offensive into Egypt was stopped by an Allied garrison at Tobruk in Libya, Africa. The Allies were surrounded by German and Italian forces. The men of the Tobruk garrison were mostly Australians and they withstood an eight month siege that consisted of tank attacks, artillery barrages, and daily bombings. In addition, they endured the harsh conditions of the desert, including searingly hot days, freezing cold nights and frequent dust storms.
The name 'Rats of Tobruk' comes from how the men lived, dug into the land like rats. The determination, bravery, and humour of the men, combined with the aggressive tactics of their commanders, became a source of inspiration during the war.
A picture of my grandmother, Jo, visiting George Murray's grave (her father's grave) with my Uncle Paul, my dad's brother and her oldest son. They are in Libya, where George Murray served as a 'Rat of Tobruk' before he was killed in action.
Albert Doohan
My future mother-in-law Cathie's great uncle Albert Doohan served in World War I (her grandfather's brother). He joined the army at 18 and assigned number 35. Albert was at the Gallipoli landing. He survived Gallipoli only to be killed later in the war in France.
Albert Doohan wrote home to his youngest brother Len from the war, warning him against joining up and saying, 'tell Len to stay where he is'. It was this message that prevented Len Doohan from serving in World War I. Instead he got married and had children in Newcastle, New South Wales. One of his children is Cathie's father and my fiance's grandfather. Without Albert's warning, Cathie would never have been born!
References
ANZAC Image -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Coloured_illustration_of_Anzac_troops_after_the_fighting_at_Gallipoli_during_World_War_I_%281%29.jpg
http://somethingverybig.com/2014/06/26/bomber-command-in-adelaide-june-2014/
http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2010/06/05/2918440.htm
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2165852/Lancaster-drops-payload-poppies-Queen-unveils-Bomber-Command-memorial.html
http://blogs.abc.net.au/sa/2011/10/world-war-ii-pathfinder-pilot.html?site=adelaide&program=adelaide_evenings
http://www.australiantimes.co.uk/tearful-trip-to-uk-for-australian-bomber-command-vets/
http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2010/06/05/2918440.htm
https://www.awm.gov.au/people/rolls/R1682758/
https://www.awm.gov.au/people/roll-search/all/?preferred_name=lewis+david+leicester&service_number=&unit=&conflict=Second+World+War%2C+1939-1945&op=Search
https://www.awm.gov.au/wartime/49/burness_tobruk/